Keyboard-locking mechanism for adding-machines.



A F BIG MACHINES.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. a snnms-snnm 1.

. N. MOP

G KEYBOARD LOCKING MEGH APPLICATION 940,708.

Q A Inventor:

0. N. MQFARLAND. KEYBOARD LOGKING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPTJQ, 1906.

940,708. Patnted Nov. 23, 1909. 5 S HEETS-SHEET- 2.

Inventor:

G. N. MOPARLAND. KEYBOARD LOOKING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SE PT.24, 1906. Patented N0v.23, 1909.

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G. N. MOPARLAND- KEYBOARD LOOKING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES, APPLICATION FILED SEPT.24, 1906.

. 940,708. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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G. N. MGPARLAND. v KEYBOARD LOCKING: MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES. APPLIOATIQN FILEDSEPT. 24, 1906.

940,708. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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Inventor: b 64% AK. 7%, OMZM UNITED sT trns PATENT oral-on 1-,

CHARLES N. McFARLAND OF KINGSTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADDER MACHINE COMPANY, OF KINGSTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

-KEYIBOARD-LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ADDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Septer '1er 24,1906. Serial No. 335,877.

To all whom it may concern: v I

Be it known that I, CHARLES N;- MoFAR- LAN D, a citizen of the United States, residing and similar mechanisms and more 'partic-' .ula'rly to the means employed to lock the keys against either accidental or intentional displacement after the oscillation of the actuating shaft if the machine has commenced or the total key has been depressed, especially in machines which embody the flexible or self-correcting key board.

* Machines of this class have attained great- .perfection they are adapted accurately to indicate and accumulate the items registered thereon'and to record the items and totals.

- Accuracy havingbeen secured, speed is the next desirable quality to be obtained.

Y Of course-it always has been desirable to lock the keys against displacement after an item has been set thereon and mechanisms have been designed forthat purpose, but these mechanisms within my experience have not been applicable to machines. with ,the flexible key board, and-where a motor is employed and speed of operation is desired do not permit of unlocking and restoring the 'keys early enough-on the return stroke of the machine to enable the operator to begin 3 the registration of anew item to save any time as compared with hand operating machines. This is a disadvantage which I have overcome in the mechanism about to be described and which is so arranged that not only are the keys instantly and automatically locked the momentthe total key is depressed or the actuating shaft moved and locked merely as an incident of said movements, but they are unlocked at any predetermined point in the reverse. motion of the actuating I shaft and preferably at the beginning of such reverse-movement or at such time as the keys are automatically restored by the usual means, so that the operator may at once; begin to set up a new item on the keys just" as soon as the position of the keys determined by the previous items set up have performed their functions.

. The machine in connection with which I desire to describe my invention is the one of the typeknown as the Wales adding machine, one form of which is described in Let- Patented Novas. 1909.

ters Patent of the United States 797,032, is-

sued August 15, 1905,

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the key board of the machine and "the relevant parts of the mechanism in the rear of the same; Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial vertical section of the mechanism showing the keys unlocked; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the keys locked; Fig. 4 is a rear view of the parts shown in Figs.

- 2 and 3.; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective-0f one ofthe latches of a denominational series; Fig. 6 is a detailed elevation of some of the parts shown in Figs, 2 and 3; Fig 7 is a side elevation and .partialvertical section of parts of the machine and Fig. 8 is a detail View.

In the drawings, 10 is the: actuating shaft of the-machine journaled in suitable bearings and oscillated by a handle or in any other suitable manner. Rigidly secured to the shaft is a plate 11 having a terminal end 12 connected to other parts of the mechanism not necessary to bedescribed. Pivoted to this plate at 13 is a connector 1% in the form of a bell crank lever having a downwardly curved member 15 provided with two-notches 16 and 17 on its upper surface,

and a. straight memberlS shown projecting upwardly in Fig. 2. This lever is under tension of a spring 19 secured to the plate 11 and traveling with it. Loosely mounted on the same shaft 10'and immediately adjacent to the plate 11 is a lifter 20 consisting of a plate which is provided with a .cam surface.

21, a foot 22 adapted tocodperatewith a stop 23 on the base of the machine, and a second foot 24 adapted to cooperate with a second stop 25, also on the base of the machine. Projecting outwardly from the surface of the plate 20-and over the arm 15 is a I roller pin 26 adapted to engage with the notches l6 and 17.

The key board comprises a series of 81 keys arranged in nine rows, each row'representing a denominatiom-a, being cents; I),

tens of cents; 0, dollars; (Z, tens of dollars; 6,

hundreds of dollars; f, thousands of dollars; 9, tens of thousands of dollars; it, hundreds of thousands of dollars, and 71, millions of dollars, and each row havin nine keys numbered from 1 to 9 respective y. n It also comprises an error key 30, the purpose of which will presently appear.

Each numeral keyis provided with a finger piece. or top 300, a key stem 301, a key lever 302, and a retracting spring 303. The key levers are adapted to elevate and depress a series of stops 304 to which they are secured at their lower ends and by their elevation to interpose the tops of the stops into the paths of reciprocating racks (not shown) which by. connecting mechanism de termine the position of the numeral wheels (not shown), and therefore the items to be accumulated.

An inverted U-shaped frame 200 consist.- ing of a horizontal plate 260, two vertical plates 261 and 202 and two depending ears 263 and 264 is arranged across the machine and supported on the frame which supports the key stems, and is provided with suitable apertures to guide the stops 304 in their ver- .tical reciprocation and to limit their lateral movement. The vertical plates 261 and 262 of this frame are apertured to provide bearings for pintles 203 of latches or broad pawls 204, which latter are nine in number, one for each denominational series. These latches are normally pressed against the stop 304 above cam lugs 313with which the stops are provided, bymeans of springs 205, the other ends of which are secured to rods'rigidly mounted on the U-shaped frame 200 and which rods also serve to hold the parts of the frame rigidly together. The cam' lugs 313 are all of the same height, and each latch 204 presses against all of the stops 304 of its series just above these lugs when the keys are I undepressed. Each latch 204 is provided with a trip car 207 extending outside of the U-shaped frame 200. i

It is obvious that when the key stems are nndepressed that any one of the stops 304 may be elevated to pass the latch 204 of the denominational series of which that particular stop forms a part, because the latch yields against the tension of its spring for that purpose, but that after such stop has acquired its new position with its cam lug 313 above the latch 304 that such stop cannot be dropped andrestored to its original osition unless its latch 204 is moved from eneath its cam lug by some positive means. Such means is found in the shaft 108 which isprovided at suitable intervals corresponding to the positions of the several latches and directly under their respective ears 207 withpins 120 which are adapted to engage such trip ears to move the latches 204 when the shaft 108 is rocked or oscillated.

It will readily be understood that if any key be depressed, depressing another key in the same denominational series will at once and automatically restore the first named key to its original independent position, because depressing any key of a series lifts its corresponding stop, 304, which, acting through its cam lug 313, moves its latch 204 common to all the keys of its denominational series; and, as soon as this latch has been moved away from its stops, any stop which has been lifted is at once retracted downward under the influence of its spring 303. Thus the key board may be said to be flexible or self-correcting because depressing any key in a' denominational series at once and automatically restores any other key in the same series which has previously been depressed.

Each key stem 301 is provided with notches 40 40, corresponding respectively to the depressed and undepressed positions of the keys. Across each horizontal row of keys is a transverse lock bar or sto 41, each bar being provided with two townwardly projecting arms 42, 42, pivoted at their lower extremities to the key board frame. Each bar is vertically slotted at 43 (see Fig. 6) near one of its ends, all of the slots 43 being in substantially the same vertical plane.

A coupling piece 50 comprising a long bar provided with notches 52, 52 is suspended in the slots 43 so that its movement in one direction will move all of the lock bars 41 simultaneously in that direction. Each lock bar 41 is connected to the coupling piece 50 by a spring 53 which holds the bar 41 against the front side of its notch 52. On the side of the coupling 'piece 50 is a projecting pin 54. r

Mounted on the key board frame is a rock shaft to which is secured a lock lever 61 in the form of a bell crank, one of its arms 2 terminating in a fork 63 adapted to engage with the pin 54'and its other arm (34 being provided with a roller 65 adapted to cooperate with the cam face 21 of the lifter 20. This lever is normally under tension of a spring 66, one end of which is secured to the key board frame.

30 indicates the error key provided with a dependent stem 31 and pivoted at 32 to one arm 33 of a rocking plate 34 which oscillates on the shaft 35, and is provided with a stop pin 30. A goose neck link is loosely hung on the shaft 35 by. a fork 71 which embraces the shaft and on the uppermost bar 41 by a fork 72. It is provided with a shoulder 73 which is adapted .to cotiperate with the pin 36. This key is connected by intermediate mechanism (not shown) to the rock shaft 108.

is a total key having a dependent stem '81 and provided with a projecting pin 82.

tigidly secured to the rock shaft 60 and in' 'ihe' vicinity of the total key stem is an arm 83. \Vhen the total key .is depressed the pin 82 moving against the arm 83 looks the shaft (30 and connected mechanism against further movement with the result referred to hereafter. The total key is adapted to secure,'through appropriate mechanism the registration and record-of the total of the items accumulated.

in the machine. I

The operation ofthe parts is as follows:

Supposing that an item has beenset up in the machine by the depression of the proper keys and that the actuating shaft has commenced ,its oscillation. forward, and the parts are in, the position shown in F 1g- 2,

this movementswingsthe plate 11' toward theffront of the machine carrying with it the connector 14, and, because of the engagement of the roller pin 26 on the lifter 20 with the notch 17 of the connector 14,

oration of the machine.

moves the edge 21 of the lifter against the roller 65 on the lower end of the locking lever 61, and, oscillating this lever and its shaft (50, moves the fork 63 against the pin '54: of the coupling piece and slides the latter forward carrying with it all of the, lock bars +11. Each one of these is held against the forward wall of its notch 52- by its spring 53 until the lock bars engage with the notches a0 in'the key stems 301. Any

further movement of the coupling piece 50- simply stretchesthe springs 53 and does not affect the lock bars which remain abutting against the key stems. Thenotches 52 in the couplingpiece are so constructed as to allow certain play or freedom of movements" which obviates the necessity of an extremely fine adjustment of the parts. In the meantime the forward oscillation of the shaft 10 and plate 11 has continued and moved the lifter 20-with it. untilits foot 22 has reached the stop 23 when it can go no farther. The oscillation of the shaft 10, however, continues beyond this point in the ordinary op- This movement carries with it the plate 11 and, the connector 14 being secured to it, must move with it. Such movement disengages the notch. if from the roller 26, and as the connector can swing 011 its pivot- 13 against the tension of the spring 19, the connector moves past the roller leaving the lifter 20 at rest until. at the end of the stroke of the plate 11, the notch 16 on the connector 14: registors with and engages the roller 26 (as the shaft '10, the engagement of thenotch l; with. the roller pin 26, at the beginning of the stroke, carries the lifter 2O inthe' reverse direction until the foot 24 strikes against the stop 25. At this point the edge ranged 21 of the lifter 20 is disengaged from the roller of the lock lever 61 -and the spring 66 retracts the lock lever to move. the coupling piece 50 to its initial position and unlocks all of the keys. This operation of unlocking the keys, it will be observed, has

taken place before thesh'aft 10has com pleted its reverse stroke, so that anew-item may be set up on the keys while such stroke is being completed. As the plate 11 continues to oscillate, in order to finish its stroke, the connector 1 f, i'noving with it, causes'the notch 16 to become disengaged from the roller 2G which is now stationary, and swings the connector 14 on its shaft 13', stretching the spring 19, to permit the con nector to pass the roller26 until itsnotch 17 engages therewith, when the parts are in position for a new stroke.

lVhen a series of items have been enumerated and accumulated .in the mechanism and the total key 80 is depressed to operate in the usual manner, the pin 82 on its stem 81 moves against the arm 83 and rocks the shaft 60 to move the lock lever 61 and connccted mechanism as before statedlocking the keys independent of the mechanism heretofore described. When the actuating shaft 10 is thereafter oscillated the connector 14 is at once moved to the position. shown in Fig. 3, but the parts are unlocked on the reverse oscillation of the shaft as before. The error key 30" is connected-by intermediate mechanism to the rock-shaft 108 in such a manner that when the key isdepressed it rocks this shaft 108 to restore the keys which have been depressed to indicate .an item to their original undepressed condition so that if a digit has been wrongly struck the keys are put into a position to indicate the correct item, wiping out the error.

It is obviously desirable to lock the error. key as well as thenumeral keys through the mechanism above described. This is accomplished through the goose neck link which, when the coupling piece 50 is slid forward and the uppermost bar 41 moves. is moved forward until its .shoulder 73 is brought under the stop pin 36 to prevent the ioo depression of the key stem 31. shown in Fig. 3. The reverse motion ofthe coupling piece 50 disengages the shoulder '7? and pin 36'. v By changing the position of the notch 17 in the connector 14, the time of unlocking the keys may be changed; so that the point of the oscillatory arc of'the operating shaft where this unlocking occurs may be predetermined.

I claiml. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and ninneral'keys arin denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of whichis adapted to engage the notches of all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series and a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously.

2. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding toctheir undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of which is adapted to engage the notches of all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, and a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously and means for automatically shifting said coupling piece at predetermined points in the actuation of the shaft.

3. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series.

of lock bars, each one of which is adapted to engage the notches of allof the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, and a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously and means for automatically shifting said coupling piece at predetermined points in the actuation of the shaft and keeping it in its shifted position during apredetermined time in the actuation of the shaft.

4. In a calculating machine,'comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of which is adapted to engage the notches of all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously and a lock lever connected to said coupling piece adapted to be operated by the actuating shaft.

5, In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of which is adapted to engage the notches of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars.simultaneously and intermediate mechanism between it and the oscillating shaft whereby the oscillation of said shaft shifts the coupling piece.

6. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of which is adapted yieldingly to engage the notches of all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the 'denominational series, a coupling piece adapted to move all of sa'id lock bars simultaneously.

7. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys arranged in denominational series hav ng dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position with a series of lock bars, each one of which is adaptedyieldingly to engage the notches of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, and a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously and means adapted to hold said lock bars out of engagement with the key stems while the actuating shaft of the machine is at rest.

8. In a calculating machine, comprising an actuating shaft and numeral keys ar-. ranged in denominational series having dependent stems, the combination of said keys having notches on their stems corresponding to their undepressed position With a series of lock bars, each one of which is adapted yieldingly to engage the notches of all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series, a coupling piece adapted to move all of said lock bars simultaneously, means adapted to hold said lock barsout of engagement with the key stems while the actuating shaft of the machine at rest and further means set in operation by the movement of said actuating shaft to move the lock bars into said engagement.

9. In a calciilating machine having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatory actuating shaft, bars each locking all of the keys of the same ordinal in all of the denominational series; and a lock lever for actuating the locking bar, the combination with means adapted to move the lever into a position to lock all of the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of means for nmintaining it in said position during the forward oscillation of the Shaft and means for restoring it to its original position dur ing the rearward oscillation of the shaft.

10. In a. I ailculating machine having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatory aetuating shaft, locking bars for the keys each locking all of the keys of the same ordinal 1 tion of the shaft, means for maintaining it in said position during the forward oscillation of the shaft and means for restoring it to its original position simultaneously with the initial reverse oscillation of the shaft.

11. In a calculating machine having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatoryactuating shaft, a'locking mechanism for the keys and a lock lever for actuating thesame,

the combination with means adapted to move. the-lever into a position to lock the-keys simultaneously-with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever comprising a lifter, means for moving the lifter without acting on the locking-lever, means for, holding the lifter at rest a predetermined time and means for f thereafte'r disengaging the lifter from the locklever. y

12. In av calculating machine having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatory actuating shaft, a' locking 'mechanism for the keys and a-lock lever for actuating the same, the combination-with means-adapted to. move the lever into a position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation ofthe shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever comprising a sector loosely mounted on the shaft and means for oscillating it during a portion of the movement of the shaft in one direction and a- 40 the lever into a position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever comprising a sector loosely'mount ed on the shaft, a member oscillating with 4 5 the shaft and a connector between it and the sectoriwhich moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in either direction and slips by the same. during the remaining portion of each oscillation.

6550' .114, In a calculating machine having aseries of numeral keys and. an oscillatory actuating 'shaft, av locking mechanism for a thekeys and a lock lever for actuating the same, the combination with means adapted to move the lever into a position to lock .the keys simultaneously with the initial osciilation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever comprising a sector loosely mounted on the shaft, 'a member oscillating with theshaft and a connector between it,

and the sector which moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in either direction and slipsbfy the same during the remaining portion 0 prising a pin on the "sector and a yielding [each oscillation, com-f member on the connector provided with a plurality of notches adapted to engage with the pin.

v 15. In a calculating machine having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatory actuating shaft, a locking -mechanism for the keys and a lock lever for actuating the same, the combination with means adapted to move the lever into a position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever, comprising a sector loosely mounted on the shaft,'a member oscillating with the shaft and-a'connector between it and the sectorwhich moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in either direction and slips by thesame during the remaining portion of each oscillation, comprising a pin on the sector and a vyielding member on'the connector provided with a plurality of notchesadapted to engage with the pin and an intermediate sliding surface engaging with said pins between the notches.

16. In a calculating machine having a series'of numeral keys and an oscillatory actuatingshaft, a locking-mechanism for the' keys and a lock lever for actuating the same,

the combination with means'adapted to move the lever into 'a'position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever, comprising a sector loosely mounted onthe shaft, a member oscillatingv with the shaft and a connector between it and the sector which moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in either direction and. slips by the same during the remaining portion of each oscillation and independent means for limiting the movement of the sector in either direction.

17. In a calculating machine; having a series of numeral keys and an oscillatory actuating shaft, a locking mechanism for the keys and a lock lever for actuating the same,

the'combination with means adapted to move the lever into a position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism formoving the lock lever comprising a sector loosely mounted on the shaft, a member oscillating with the shaft and a connector between it and the sector which moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in cit-her direction and slips by the same during the remaining portion of each oscillation, com prising a pin on the sector and a yielding member on the connector rovided with a plurality of notches adapte to engage with the pin and independent means for limiting the movement of the sector in either direction. p

18. In a calculating machine having a series of numeral keys an oscillatory actuating shaft, a locking mechanism for the keys and a lock lever for actuating the same,

no I

the combination with means adapted to move the lever into a position to lock the keys simultaneously with the initial oscillation of the shaft, of mechanism for moving the lock lever, comprising a sector loosely mounted on the shaft, a member oscillating with the shaft and a connector between it and the sector Which moves the sector during the initial turn of its oscillation in either direction and slips by the same during the remaining portion of each oscillation, comprising a pin on, the sector and a yielding member on the connector )rovided with a plurality of notches adapteil to engage with the pin and an intermediate slidingsurface engagin with said pins between the notches and in ependent means for limit-in the movement of the sector in either direction.

19. In a calculating machine,'comprisin a series of numeral keys, an actuating sha t and locking mechanism for the keys including a lock lever, automatic means for oper atmg the lock lever brought into action by the movement of the shaft and manuallyoperated means also adapted to operate the lock leverl 20. In a calculating machine, having a series of numeral keys, an actuating shaft, a locking mechanism for the keys comprising transverse locking bars, a longitudinal coup ling piece and a lock lever, the combination therewith of means tendin yieldingly to draw the lock lever to an un ocking posltion and positive means moving it in the reverse direction to an unlocking posit-ion operated by the actuating shaft.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

, CHARLES N. MoFARLAND. lVitnesses:

vHUBBARD-B. PAYNE,

WILLIAM R. BAIRD. 

